ACCESS NATURAL WATER
Q: What does sustainability mean for your company – and how does it align with your core business strategy?
A: Sustainability is more than a practice; it’s a responsibility we embrace every day. For us, it means taking conscious steps to reduce environmental impact while continuing to provide safe and pure hydration to our customers.
In September 2024, we launched our new glass bottle range under the theme Live Sri Lanka, designed to celebrate the beauty of our island. The bottles feature illustrations of iconic places, wildlife and cultural symbols, combining sustainability with a celebration of Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural heritage.
These bottles are fully reusable and collected by the company to ensure they stay in circulation rather than becoming waste.
We actively engage in coastal and beach cleanups with our staff participating hands-on, demonstrating that environmental care is part of our company’s culture. We also collect polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste from our customer base to ensure that responsible recycling practices are followed.
Beyond this, we are committed to nurturing greener communities. We plant trees and herbal plants at both our factory and schools, fostering environmental awareness and teaching the importance of nature from an early age.
Additionally, our bottled water brand Aquafresh has begun electrifying conventional vehicles, replacing them with electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), to further reduce our carbon footprint and align operations with global environmental standards.
Sustainability aligns perfectly with our business strategy because it strengthens our brand as an environmentally responsible company, builds trust with our customers and ensures long-term access to high quality water sources. By embedding sustainability into product design, operations and community engagement, we create a business model that benefits both the planet and our customers.
Q: How do you measure the social impact of your company’s sustainability initiatives?
A: Measuring impact allows us to understand the effectiveness of our sustainability efforts and identify areas for improvement. At Aquafresh, we track quantitative metrics such as the number of glass bottles reused, the volume of PET waste collected and the amount of waste diverted from landfills.
Our beach and coastal cleanups are measured in terms of waste removed, and the level of participation from staff and volunteers.
We also track qualitative outcomes, such as encouraging sustainable habits among customers and students. For example, we monitor engagement in our tree and herbal planting programmes at the factory and schools, noting both participation and awareness generated.
By combining numerical data with behavioral insights, we can assess both environmental and social impacts, ensuring our initiatives make a meaningful difference.
Q: Looking ahead, how does Aquafresh plan to grow while advancing its sustainability initiatives?
A: Looking ahead, Aquafresh plans to expand our glass bottle range, making sustainable hydration more accessible, while continuing to celebrate Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural heritage.
At the same time, we aim to enhance other sustainability practices including larger scale PET collection, more frequent coastal cleanups and broader community engagement programmes.
Currently, one part of our operations has been digitalised including adopting e-billing and a digitalised delivery system using QR codes, reducing printed invoices and other documents.
We are planning to expand this digitalisation across the full operation, further minimising paper consumption and lowering our carbon footprint. Our tree and herbal planting programmes at both the factory and schools will also be expanded, reaching more students and community members, and providing hands-on education about sustainability.
By continuously innovating and scaling these initiatives – including fleet electrification and operational digitalisation – Aquafresh seeks to combine business growth with meaningful environmental stewardship.
Every bottle reused, every cleanup conducted, and every tree and herbal plant nurtured brings us closer to a greener, healthier future for our communities.
– Compiled by Natalie Seneviratne
COMPANY DETAILS
Telephone 0760 300300 | Email info@aquafresh.lk | Website www.aquafresh.lk
